Things You Need to Know About ‘Internet of Things’

Things You Need to Know About ‘Internet of Things’

Smartphones, smart cars and smart locks – you must have heard about these terms often lately. In the coming days, you’re going to hear them more. But, do you know what makes them smart?

Internet of Things is the new-age technology that’s behind such spellbinding innovation. At its very basic level, it is kind of related to everyday objects with a sole aim to ensure users a unique experience. Nest Protect smoke detector and August door lock are some of its latest renditions.

Nevertheless, IoT can be at times baffling as well as intimidating – especially for laymen who’ve no prior notion about the fast-growing trends and concepts of IT. For them and others, here we’ve a breakdown of the basics of IoT:

What do you mean by IoT?

In simple terms, Internet of Things is an ecosystem of interrelated physical objects that are accessible through the internet. The ‘thing’ in IoT can be anything – human beings, vehicles, home appliances, devices – but they should contain software, have connectivity or exhibit an electronic connection – which allows these objects to connect, communicate and exchange data.

Of late, IoT is being applied to vertical markets, including healthcare, medical and transportation.

Why IoT? Highlight the reasons for its wide popularity.

No doubt, technology has become the very essence of our existence. With the help of data, we can track down and evaluate any options – data helps us reduce loss, waste and cost. It helps us remind when things need replacing, repairing or when they need to be recalled. It’s best to empower computers so that they can gather relevant information and help us strategize future goals keeping that in mind – this is what IoT platforms actually do. It enables objects to inspect, identify and comprehend a situation or the surroundings without any human help.

Working Mechanism

Without being too technical, we would like to say that there exist numerous wireless radios that let these devices to gain access to the internet and to each other. In some cases, there might be a central hub that acts as a common platform to allow different devices to connect with each other. Also, there are cloud services – they boost collection and analysis of data so that professionals can understand what’s going on and take necessary action through their mobile apps.

Which companies are best utilizing IoT?

Well, if you ask us we would say the easier question would be who isn’t utilizing IoT. From Samsung to Google, Apple and Philips, everyone is working on IoT platforms, including small companies as well as startups.

What about security and privacy issues?

Obviously, such vast amounts of data collection may make people worried about the potential risk of data getting leaked. The increasing number of access points pose added security risk.

Security and privacy both are important for company success. Several precautions are being taken by the experts to safeguard their customers’ information and data.